Apparatus fob



L. G. RUWAND.

APPARATUS FOR SEPAHATING ORE BY FLGTATION.

APPLlcATaoN man APH. 9. 1914.

1 ,3 1 2,75 4. Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

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UNITED STATES PTENT OFFICE.

LE'WIS G-, OWAN'), 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. ASSIGNOR T0 NEW' OF NEW YORK. N. Y.. A CRPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

COMPANY,

JERSEY ZINC APPARATUS FR SEPARATING ORE BY FLOTATION.

1.3 l 2.71" il.

Application. lcd April El. 1914,

Specicaion o1' Letters Patent.

Paxton het] A ug.

given off from the top surface of the plate` or tile I1. This may conveniently be etl'eeted b lsupplying1 the material by means of any suitable. conveyor, as, for instance, the feed chute E to a tube i extendingr downwardly into the body of the water and terminating in close proximity to the tile h.

To insure the breakingr up or thorough mixing ot' the material during its descent through tlu` tulbe 1I the central shaft F which is driven rby the gears p and n through the power shaft (l, maybe provided in addition to the cross-head .t wiith a series of paddles Kr. So also the `tube may be provided with a series ot' inwardly projecting radial battles aud, in some instances, it .may be desirable to rotate the tube. i. I? or that. purmse., it may be provided with a gear Z at. its upper end. resting;r u ion ball-bearings m., shown, and driven trom any suitable source of power. as, for instance, from the gear n, upon the power shaft. o.

Atthe lmtztom of the shaft `F is provided a cross-head .s oarrying a series of blades t, whose function is to gradually move out wardly those. particles of the materiel which tend to remain upon the topsnrfaoe of the tile It and to discharge the sinne oli at the edge of `the tile and into the `body of water so that. they will fall down into the hopper bottom, thus leaving the tile constantly in condition'for active service over its entire upper surface.

From the foregoing description, the mode ot'V operation of the invention will be apparent; the material to be treated is first reduced to the appropriate degree of fineness familiar to flotation processes and is then mixed, as usual, with the customary flotation emulsion of Water. and sulfuric acid and oil, or the like. It. then ted into the tube and, in a disintegrated condition, is discharged from the lower end of the tube l', its down-flow being assisted. when the paddles r are used, by the configuration ot' said paddles whirh. as in '.i pugonilhtend to torce the material downwardly.

llpon its discharge from the lower end of the tube it emerges into the main body portion ot' the water and inuuediately meets the uprising air or gas bubbles from the tile lf. These air or gas bubblesl attach them selves Vto the tloatable particles and increase their buoyancy` at the same time disseminating thcln outwardly and upwardly in the 'body ol water. and allordiug opportunity for tluJ non-floatablc particles to become disseminatedand to drop through the watcr into the hopper bottom lwlow. During this operation, the*revolvingr blades .t of thc head x exercise their function ot' keeping the upper surface of the tilev clear and uniformly activiI in thc distribution of the air or gas bubbles.

The inward inclination of the walls of the conical t'rustum n. tends to retard the up ward movement of the particles, andto al certain extent, opposes a barrier thereto, so that full opportunity is afforded for the )articles constituting the tailings, to snli )aok through the body of water into the hopper bottom L. The tioatable particles rise over the upper edge ot' the trusttun ff, and, as they proceed toward the overflow alt'orded by the upper edge ot the receptacle A, thc middlings drop to the bottom ot' the chamber ef. The heads. as, for instance, the Zinc blonde, or similar material to he separated as heads are received in the fiumiber B. The heads, and the middlings. are recovered separately, and the tailings may bc removed, from time to time or continuously, as desired, `trom the hopper bottom ll.

it. will. of course, he understood that the supply of water to thc receptacle A is constantly maintained during the operation so as to obtain the desired overflow. and that the supply of air or gas to the chamber D is likewise appropriate to constantly' renew and maintain the discharge ol' air bubbles Jfrom the tile.

li'hat. I claim is:

l. Flotatioo. apparatus comprising a receptacle for water, a feed. tubi` provided with pressure mechanism for forcing below the surface of the water and into the main body thereof finely divided ore mixed with flotation emulsion, a porous member below the discharge opening ot' the tube. means for forcingr a multitude of air or gas bubbles through the porous member, and a barrier consisting of a hollow frustum ot' a cone interposed in the upward rise of the particles raised by the bubbles; substantially as described.

2. l `lotatimi apparatus comprising' the combination et a receptacle tor water. a leed tube for discharging below the surface ot' thc water and into the main body thcreot' tim-ly divided ore mixed with flotation emulsion, a pressure chamber having a porous wall, said chamber being mounted within the receptacle below the lower discharge end of the tube and above the bottom of the reeptacle and having its upper surface below and inthe path of discharge ot the tube, and means for forcing a multitude ot' air or gas bubbles through the po' roul tile; substantially as described.

Plot-ation apparatus comprising the rombination of a receptacle for Water, a feed tube for discharging below the surface ot' the water and into the main body thereof tinely divided ore mixed Vith flotation emulsion. a porous member mounted within the receptacle below the lower discharge end of thc tube, a pressure chamber of which said member forms the` upper wall mounted ICO IIB

within the receptacle, said chamber bein spaced from the walls thereof to permit gungue to pass downwardly in the receptaele around the chamber, and a disehar e gate at the lower end of the receptacle; su stantially as described.

4 Flotation apparatus comprising the combination of a receptacle for water, a feed tube for discharging below the surface of the`water and into the main bod thereof finely divided ore mixed with flotation emulsion, a porous member mounted within the receptacle below the lower discharge end of the tube and with its upper surface substan' tiall)v transverse to the axis ofthe tube, a shaft passing throufrh the tube, a scraper for the surface of sald member mounted on the shaft, and means for rotating the shaft; substantially as described.

5. Flotation apparatus comprising the combination of a receptacle for water, a ,feed tube for discharging below the surface of the water and iuto the main body thereof finely divided ore mixed with flotation emulsion, a porous member mounted within the receptacle below the lower discharre end of the tube with its upper surface su stantially transverse to the axis of the tube, a `shaft extending within the tube, blades on the shaft', and means for rotating the shaft; substantially as described.

t3. ["lotation apparatus comprising the rombinatiou of a receptacle for water. a feed tube for diacharging below the surface of the water and into the main body thereof finely` di.idd ore mixed with flotation emulsion, i porous` Imember mount-ed within the rreptacic below the lower discharge end of the tube with its up )er surface substantially transverse to t e axis of tbc tube` a shaft extending through the tube. blades on flic portion of the shaft lying within tbe tubo, a` scraper 4for the surface ol' said member mounted on the shaft. and means for -rotating the shaft;

substantially as described.

7. Flotation apparatus comprising the combination of a receptacle. for water, a feed tube for discharging below the surface of the water and into the main body thereof finely divided ore mixed with flotation emulsion, a porous member mounted within the receptacle below the lower disrhargc end of the tube with its upper surface substantially transverse to the axisof the tube, and a plurality of battles upon the interior surface of the tube; substantially as described. i

S. l `lotation apparatus comprising the combination of a receptacle for water, a feed tubefor discharging below the surfar'e of the water and into the main body thereof finely divided ore mixed with lietation emulsion. u porous member mounted within the receptacle below the lower dls charge end of the tube with its upper surfece substantially transverse to the axis of the tube, a shaft extending within the tube, blades on the shaft, bullies on the interior of the tube, and means for rotating the shaft; substantially as described.

l). Flotntion apparatus comprisiu a rece )tacle for water, ai mixing and lfeeding tu c for discharging below the surface of the water and into the main body thereof finely divided ore mixed with 'flotation emulsion, a porous member below the disn charge opening of the tube, means for forcing a multitude of air or gas bubbles through the porous member, and a scraper for keeping lhe outer surface of the porous member in active condition; substantially as described.

10. Flotation apparatus comprising a receptacle for water, a feed tube for discharging below the surface of the water and into the main body thereof finely divided ore mixed with flotation emulsion, a porous meinber below the discharge opening of the tube, means for forcing a multitude of air or gas bubbles through the' porous member, and a scraper for keeping the outer surface of the porous member in active condition, said scraper consisting of a shaft carrying a series of blades at its lower end so arranged as tov force outwardly and over tla\etlge of the porousl member any material finding lodgirient thereon; substantially as described.

ll. Flotation apparatus comprising a re reptacle for water, a feed tube for discharging below the surfareof the water and into the main body thereof finely divided ore mixed with flotation emulsion,.said tube being provided on its inner wall with a series of bullies, means` for revolving the tube, a porous member below the discharge opening of the tube, and means 'for forcing a nudtitude of air or gas bubbles throu h the porous member; substantially as scribed,

l2, Flotation apparatus comprising a receptacle for water, a feed tube for discharging below the surface of the'water and into the main body thereof finely divided ore mixed with flotation emulsion, said tube being provided o nrits inner Wall With a series of bullies, a rotary shaft having a series of radial blades located within the tube, means for rotatingr the tube and shaft in opposite directions, a porous member below the discharge opening of the tube, and means for forcing a multitude of air or gas bubbles through the porous member; substantially as described.

13. Flotation apparatus comprising a'reeeptacle for containing a body of water,v a feed tube 'for discharging below the sur face of the water and into the main body thereof' finely divided ore mixed with `flotasol nie

tion emulsion, menus for supplyinga multi- In testimony whereof I affix my signatude f disseminated uil* or gas bubbles to ture, in presence of twn witnessus.

the water u s it issues from `the tube, un outlyinr fl'ustnm encmnpassing the ftube, u LEWIS G. ROWANI). 5 mid linge compartment ougxde of the frusturn, uhd'a heads compartment outside of Witnesses:

the middlngscompartment; substantially C. B. Sclmomcn,

as described. M. A. BELL.

I It in hereby certified that in Letters Patentl No. 1,312,754, granted August 12,

1919, upon the application of Lewis G. Pinwand, of Brooklyn, New York, for an improvement in Apparatus for Separating Ore by Flotation, errors appear in the specication requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 10'8. claim 2,

for the word "-feed md mixing and feeding; same page and claim, line 119, for

the word '-lo" read wall; and tht the seid Letters Patent should be read with thm correcoiom therein than the same may conform t-o the record of the case in the Patent Oce.

Signed end sealed this 30th day of Septomber, A. D., 1919.

M. H. COULS'ION,

Ading Commissioner of Patents. 

